When he was 4, he said he was thrown into a swimming pool by a family friend. He said he passed out, then spent four months in the hospital.

With that long, long ago in his rear-view mirror, today the Mesa Skyline receiver/safety is considering a walk-on football opportunity as Arizona State, where he has family ties to the school and to coach Herm Edwards.

His grandfather, Dave Buchanan, was a running back at ASU in 1968. His uncle, Floyd Young, played cornerback for Edwards and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2000 when Edwards was the team's defensive backs coach.

"We're die-hard ASU fans," the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Buchanan said. "My uncle said, with Herm there coaching, you can't get any better than that."

Buchanan said he also could accept the only Division I offer he has received, from Prairie View A&M. But he feels he would earn a scholarship once he got to ASU and showed the coaches what he can do.

Brimming with confidence

It doesn't matter what side of the ball he plays.

"If they tell me to jump, I'll say, 'How high?' " Buchanan said.

Buchanan, who says he runs 40 yards in 4.5 seconds, credits former Skyline head coach Angelo Paffumi and defensive backs coach Greg Cole for helping his development at Skyline. He said Cole, a former ASU walk-on defensive back himself, has given him advice.

"I personally think I can compete with anybody," Buchanan said. "I think I can beat out anybody. I won't quit. I think I can earn a scholarship."

Paffumi believes in Buchanan's abilities.

"He is a gifted athlete," Paffumi said. "We had to find ways to make the game fit for him. Once we did, he took off and did well for us the last part of the year.

"He has a chance to do well."

Reliving the accident

Buchanan said he didn't have brain surgery for the injury when he was 4.